Wonder Boys remember Zemaric HoltDemetris Ford struggled to talk about his friend Zemaric Holt — the pain was too close. Ford spent his Saturdays protecting the Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys' end zone with Holt during football season. He spent his spring lifting weights with him. He spent his free time simply hanging out with him. "He was my best friend," Ford said. "If we each had 50 cents, we would put it together and buy a hamburger to share. We did everything together. We spe...

Golden Suns volleyball earns AVCA Academic AwardLEXINGTON, Ky. — The Arkansas Tech volleyball program was honored this week with an American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award. The Golden Suns are one of six Great American Conference teams to be recognized. “As coach, I am extremely proud of this award,” Golden Suns head coach Kristy Bayer said. “This was one of our team goals this past year. We have many players in rigorous academic programs, on top of a tough travel...

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Pottsville installs four tennis courtsPOTTSVILLE — The Apaches and Lady Apaches tennis teams are already practicing on four new tennis courts south of the Pottsville Indoor Practice Facility. Superintendent Larry Dugger said construction on the courts completed last week, save the installation of the windscreens the Pottville School District (PSD) is waiting on. “Already the courts have been a great asset, not only to the students but to the community,” Dugger said. “The players h...

Football Frenzy to hit Johnson CountyThe second annual Johnson County Football Frenzy will begin at 6 p.m. on Aug 11 in the Rogers Conference Center in the University of the Ozarks. The event, presented by the Single Parent Scholarship Fund of Johnson County, is free and open to the public. Clarksville head coach Eli Cranor, Lamar head coach Josh Jones and Johnson County Westside head coach Jeff Stewart will each present information about their team to the crowd. Cranor said the ...

Venture Crew 300 girls win raceThe Russellville Venture Crew 300 girls recently won the 2015 White River Canoe Race, a three-day, 120-mile race conducted by the Boy Scouts of America annually for the last 49 years in Batesville The Venture Crew 300 is a co-ed division of the Boy Scouts of America. The girls won the cruising division, while the Venture Crew 300 boys team placed second in the White River Canoe Race in Batesville. "The cruising class is kind of a misleading na...

Arkansas board votes to end Rebel mascot, 'Dixie' song LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — A school board in northwestern Arkansas voted Monday to drop a high school's "Johnny Reb" mascot and "Dixie" fight song after the shooting deaths of nine people inside their historic black church in South Carolina reignited a debate nationwide about the use of symbols of the Confederacy. Fort Smith school board members have said a recurring discussion about changing the mascot and the Old South anthem used as the fight...

Patriots’ season ends in Fort SmithFORT SMITH — The Russellville American Legion Post 20 Patriots needed momentum to advance in the State Tournament on Saturday at the University of Arkansas Fort Smith (UAFS), but what they got was a debacle. Patriots head coach Zach Hettinga was ejected after a controversial call at first base. Because Post 20 did not have an assistant coach present, Russellville was forced to forfeit the game. Like that, any momentum was gone. The Patriots sh...

Mom’s Football 101 a successTerri McKown came away from the Mom’s Football 101 camp hosted by the Russellville Cyclones football team on Saturday at Cyclone Stadium with a little more appreciation for what her son, Cole McKown, endures each day during football practice. “It was a lot harder than I thought it was going to be,” she said. “Especially in the summer heat. We didn’t even have on the football gear that they have on, and it was very, very hot. I cannot imagine w...

RHS to host Mom’s Football 101Billy Dawson wants to fill Cyclone Stadium with football moms during Saturday’s Mom’s Football 101 Program at the high school field house. The program, which the RHS head coach said he has done for many years, is aimed to teach mothers a little bit about what their football playing sons go through on a daily basis. “It’s an opportunity to experience for a couple hours what their kids are doing every day,” Dawson explained. “We will go outside ...

Trusty wins ASGA Jr. at Fianna HillsTHE COURIER / Submitted Danville’s Jay Trusty won the ASGA Jr. at Fianna Hills in the Boys 16-18 Division and overall recently in Fort Smith. Trusty won by seven strokes. Trusty is currently playing in the ASGA Jr. Match Play at Eagles Hill Golf and Country Club. Look for results in a future edition of The Courier.

Manns named First Tee Participant of the MonthCommunity Service, Inc. (CSI) named Susanna Manns as the First Tee Participant of the Month for July. Manns is the daughter of David and Susan Manns of Russellville and attends Sequoyah Elementary. Susanna has a long list of favorite things about the First Tee program. “I like playing golf, baseball, meeting new friends, having different kinds of contests and doing a little bit of everything,” she said. Her father had been looking for a way to...

Cyclones to host team campRussellville football fans will get their first taste of first-year head coach Billy Dawson’s Cyclones when the team holds a team camp at 9 a.m. Thursday at Cyclone Stadium. Russellville will take on Dardanelle, Pottsville, Clarksville, Hot Springs lakeside and Fort Smith Southside in scrimmages throughout the morning. Dawson said the team camps are a great way to work on depth and gauge how well recently installed schemes are operating for th...

Suns alum Silva shines at Pan-Am GamesTORONTO — Arkansas Tech Golden Suns basketball alum Rosie Silva continues to shine on the basketball court, turning in an outstanding performance for her native Venezuela in the 2015 Pan Am Games in Toronto. In four games, Silva averaged 21.5 points, four rebounds, and 3.5 steals per game. Venezuela faced a stiff challenge against eventual gold medal winner Canada, but Silva led her squad with 13 points, while grabbing four rebounds and three ...

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Suns alum Silva shines at Pan-Am GamesTORONTO — Arkansas Tech Golden Suns basketball alum Rosie Silva continues to shine on the basketball court, turning in an outstanding performance for her native Venezuela in the 2015 Pan Am Games in Toronto. In four games, Silva averaged 21.5 points, four rebounds, and 3.5 steals per game. Venezuela faced a stiff challenge against eventual gold medal winner Canada, but Silva led her squad with 13 points, while grabbing four rebounds and three ...

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ATU Athletic CommunicationsThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Post 20 qualifies for state tourneyCABOT — The Russellville American Legion Post 20 Patriots made their exit from the Zone Tournament on Sunday with a 10-2 loss to Conway, but not before securing their spot in the State Tournament with a 19-7 win over Searcy earlier that day. Russellville (13-8) will play against an unannounced opponent on Friday at the University of Arkansas Fort Smith in round one of the State Tournament. "There are only eight teams in this tournament," Post ...

Slam gone, Spieth gears up for the next major ST. ANDREWS, Scotland (AP) — Jordan Spieth headed home from a grueling week at the British Open with history on his mind and another major in his future. Next up is the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits. And if the Grand Slam is no longer in play, there's still plenty out there. "I don't know how many guys have done three majors in a year," Spieth said. "I'm sure there's only been a few." Very few, actually. Ben Hogan did it in 1953, winni...

Patriots open Zone tourney todayThe Russellville American Legion Post 20 Patriots will play Conway on Friday in the first round of the Zone Tournament at 4 p.m. today in Cabot. Russellville (11-6, 5-3 Zone Three) defeated Conway 10-2 on Monday its final game of the regular season — but Patriots head coach Zach Hettinga isn’t resting easy. Conway defeated Post 20 4-3 earlier this year, and Hettinga described it as being one of the better teams in the tournament. “I’m not sure...